vegan nutty energy balls

I have to admit, I have eaten my fair share of energy bars and protein bars. They are just too easy; after a run, right before work, driving around town running errands. My faves are Luna bars. But... I'm on a quest to get closer to a complete plant-based, whole food diet.  So, I’ve been whippin up some of my own little creations to help keep me going through the week. Not quite as easy as a lemon zest Luna bar, but definitely more satisfying, even just knowing exactly what is in them.

vegan nutty energy balls

• 7 medjool dates, soaked
• 1/3 cup maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup goji berries
• 2 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/3 cup hemp seeds
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut for coating

I start by soaking my dates... I use medjool dates, cut them in half, take out the pit, and pour hot water over them. Let soak for about ten minutes

Toss them in the blender with pb, maple syrup, cacao powder, and goji berries. Blend until smooth.

So, I do not have a food processor... yet. But it is very high on my list of things I need for a successful food blog and a vegan diet, so it will be coming into the picture soon, I promise. For now, the blender and a good ol’ knife and chopping board will suffice.

If you have a food processor, lucky you, coarsely chop the walnuts, cashews, and almonds in it. If you do not, chop em up as fine as you like. Mix them with the date mixture. Then add chia seeds and hemp seeds. You could add sunflower seeds or sesame seeds, or whatever other seeds you like also. Add the shredded coconut, you can't really have too much coconut in my opinion so this is where I keep adding it until I get the consistency I want.

This is where things get messy. Form the batter into 1 to 1 ½ in balls, and roll in shredded coconut. Place them in the fridge for a few hours to firm up.